His plan

Checking the mail these days has gotten very exciting.  Quite often the mail brings us a little bit closer to bringing home our sweet little ones.  Some days this means receiving paperwork.  Others it means receiving more practical items like car seats.  Today it meant receiving a letter from Show Hope.
Show Hope is a Christian based organization committed to caring for orphans.  They do this in a variety of ways including Adoption Aid, Care Centers, Pre & Post Adoption Support, and Student Initiatives.  They help provide hope in situations that can seem hopeless.  (You can learn more at www.showhope.org )
Today, they helped do just that for us.  We received a letter saying that we have been awarded a grant for $5000.  It is incredible to us how God is writing our story, and our children's story!  Each step of the way He is present.  Each financial mountain, He moves at just the right time.
When we started this process, many thought we were crazy.  We couldn't afford an international adoption.  (That is still true.  By all normal standards we can not afford an international adoption).  However, we knew that this was what God was calling us to do.  So we jumped.  I don't think either of us had any idea of what that would actually look like or how we would get there.
Here we are almost 3 years later.  (Timing is everything...the twins are almost 3)  We are adopting from a different country than we originally planned.  We are adopting twins...certainly didn't plan on that.  Our age group is different than expected.  Our adoption is approximately 75% funded.  I say this to say one thing...God's plans are greater than our plans.
What is He calling you to do today? Is He asking you to trust Him?  To step out in faith to something that seems completely crazy?
Do it!
He knows what is best.  He goes before you.  He prepares a way for you.  Whether He is asking you to do something big like adoption, or small like invite a friend to church trust Him.  He's got this.

Dream Job

A friend of mine posted on facebook recently, "What is your dream job?"  I've had a wide variety of jobs in the last decade or so.  Some I absolutely loved, others not so much.  Each one has had its ups and downs.  I absolutely love what I am doing now.  Serving is amazing!  I love the family run company I work for.  I feel like I am an important piece of the puzzle and I am valued.  All that being said, I still couldn't call it my dream job.  I mean dream jobs are big and fancy or different and quirky...they are things you rarely get to do in the real world, right?
And then it hit me!  My dream job is the one things I feel like I've always wanted to do. It is as if God has designed me uniquely for it.  My dream job is to be a mom.  As we prepare to bring our twins home, I dove in head-first to all things parenting.  Babywearing, cloth diapering, educational opportunities, etc.  You name it, I've researched it.  I want to do everything I can to be prepared.
You see I have waited a long time to be given this amazing opportunity.  Even as a young girl and as a teenager I dreamed of being a wife and mother.  With each day, it gets closer.  God is giving me two little ones to raise up in this world until the day He asks for them back.  What calling could be more meaningful that to shape them and mold them?
I don't have this whole adoption thing figured out.  There are still some big paperwork hurdles and big financial hurdles we have to get over.  But I know He's walking the journey with us.  I don't have this whole parenting thing figured out (hence all the research ;) ) There are hurdles ahead that I will probably trip over in the dark before I ever see them.  But I know He will walk that journey with us as well.
How cool is it, that God has uniquely designed me and is now granting the desire of my heart.

We just got a letter...

Does anyone remember that little jingle from Blues Clues?  Every time the mail came it was super exciting.  I remember mail being like this as a child, too.  I would get the mail with my Mom after getting off the bus.  Our dog had even been trained to carry the stack to the house.
As I got older, mail got a whole lot less exciting.  Usually a trip to the mail box means bills, catalogs, and junk I don't care about.  This was not the case yesterday.  When I got home, Tyler had already gotten the mail.  It was stacked in the kitchen.  I started with packages because they are typically more fun, and he had sent me a text about them earlier.  Package number one - cloth diapers!  I ordered these about a month ago so I was happy to open them and see such great colors and quality.  Package number two - the amazing video monitor system my parents ordered for us for the twins room!  We debated whether this investment would be worth while, but after talking to a few moms, we decided it was worth it (and they got a great deal).
I thought this was the end of all the fun.  Then Tyler said, "Oh and we got a letter from Homeland Security."  In a normal situation this would probably not be good.  I knew it would go one of two ways.  They could be requesting more information for our file...but that wasn't the case.
WE HAVE BEEN APPROVED!  (By Immigration in the US).
So the ominous question is...what's next?  Well the easy answer is: our dossier.  But most of you have no idea what that means.  So...a dossier is a file that will contain about 50 pages give or take.  It is a representation of who we are, why we want to adopt, and why we are qualified to do so.  It has lots of legal forms, our completed homestudy, reference letters, and even pictures of both us and our home.  This file all has to be notarized, certified, and apostilled.  So if any one is wondering what I am doing with my free time, read that paragraph again.
When that is done, we will get our official referral file.  That will include more information regarding their background, current foster home, medical files, and sizes.  We are patiently (or impatiently depending on the day) awaiting this information.  After this we will be given our travel dates.  Please pray that we can travel in February.  We very much want to celebrate the twins birthday with them.  We are on track for that to be a possibility.
On a practical level, we also have had a great week!  I found some incredible black friday deals on car seats!  We saved a few hundred dollars.  Additionally we got a good deal on a luggage set.  I have also connected with a mom who has out grown the sizes we need.  Being able to purchase gently used clothing in great condition has been a huge blessing!  We believe all our major physical needs for the kids have been met.  I am sure things will come up once they are home, but we feel physically ready to bring them home.
This also means all our extra funds can be spent paying off debt and paying adoption related costs.  We are one-third of the way to being fully funded.  We feel incredibly blessed to be part of this journey and see the ways God is providing.  Please pray along with us that he will continue to provide in whatever ways He sees fit.  I have filled out many grant applications and would love to see some of those to provide for the next part of our journey.
Please also pray that God continues to prepare hearts.  You never reach adoption without loss.  Pray for the hearts of our children's birth family.  Pray for their foster family and community.  Pray for our family.  Pray for Tyler and I as we prepare for big changes.  Pray for our community as they wrap around us during this transition.  Pray for our twins.  Hope is coming, even if they don't know it yet.

Life as we know it...

Life as we know it looks a little different these days.  Tyler and I are both working full time...and then some.  Our schedules don't always align very well, but we work hard to include date night once a week.  Our free time is spent getting ready for the twins to come home in both the practical ways and the not so practical.
I have written 6 grant applications in the last month.  We are working on 10-15 more due in November and December.  We are praying that God will continue to provide for the financial part of our adoption as He has already been doing.  Fundraising is a pretty regular part of our lives.  We are still collecting change jars as well as putting all our change in one.  I empty ours once every few weeks.  It adds up quick!  We started collecting change a year ago and have raised over $1000 this way!  If you would like to join us in this, please let me know.
We also have a few new fundraising opportunities that I am excited to share with you!  We recently did a Noonday Collection trunk show with Melissa Davenport.  You can still order from this online and they will donate 10% directly to our adoption.  The really cool part of this is Melissa and her husband are growing their family through international adoption.  In addition, Noonday Collection is all products made by local artisans in various countries.  This often gives mothers a way to provide for their family so they can keep their children.  In Melissa's words, "It's a win-win-win!" You can order online at http://www.noondaycollection.com/pws/MelissaDavenport/eventstore33004/AMUS/default.aspx
We were also presented with the opportunity to participate in a cool fundraiser with The Ripple Effect.  They make and sell superhero capes/masks and princess dresses.  These are high quality, gorgeous products.  They will make great Christmas gifts for little boys and girls.  I'm thinking we will need a few of them in our house very soon :) You can go online at tinyurl.com/capesforacause tinyurl.com/dressforacause and select The Weaver Family as your cause.  They will make a donation to our growing family at the end of the month!
Finally, another adoptive family shared Amazon Affiliates with us.  I love this because you literally do what you normally do, and you get to help bring our babies home.  Use the following link http://amzn.to/2eOaYHC  Amazon will work exactly the same way.  You make your purchases and they make a donation!  How cool is that?!
We also still have a handful of Hope shirts and lots of puzzle pieces.  Let me know if you are interested in either.
Now if you've made it this far and don't feel completely overwhelmed, I'm impressed.  It seems like a lot but we are trying to cater to a variety of audiences.  We are about one-third of the way to our financial goal.  We are trusting that God will continue to provide for this crazy awesome journey He has led us on.
On the more practical end, the twins room is filling quickly.  Both our Lillebaby carriers have arrived.  I even got to practice with a friend's little girl the other day.  We are excited that these will make travel easier and aid in bonding with our children.  We have 3 eighteen gallon totes of clothing, portable highchair/booster seats, bumbos, potty seats, and a variety of other fun baby things!  Our next big priority will be car seats.  We have registered at Buy Buy Baby, Target, and Babies R Us (which was quite an adventure all in itself).

This part of the journey is quite interesting.  It is busy.  There is a lot of paperwork.  It can be discouraging some days.  But mostly there is hope.  Hope for a family that we have dreamed about building for so long.  Hope for the way God has connected us with our children already, despite the fact that we have not met them.  Hope for this broken world we live in, through new life and new beginnings.  God has already blessed us so much!  Thank you for walking this journey with us.  We love you!

Big Questions: Why fundraise?

Over the next few weeks, I am going to attempt to tackle some of the "big" questions we are asked often.  Some of these are important.  Some are difficult.  Some are painful. Tonight I am going to start with the one we probably get asked most often...
Why do you fundraise?
Yep.  Many people are afraid to ask us this question directly.  But, they ask our friends and family.  Occasionally they will ask us.  "Why do you fundraise?" is actually one of my favorite questions.  This is because it is something we thought a lot about before ever doing it.
First off, the big easy reason for us fundraising is adoption is expensive!  Seriously.  It will cost between $35000 and $40000 by the time we bring our twins home and they are legally our children.  For those who are wondering, no that doesn't include all their "stuff."  We will still need clothes, toys, diapers, etc.
Adoption is expensive.  But so is buying a car and you don't see people doing fundraisers for that (usually...gofundme has prompted some weird things). Our desire to fundraise was not motivated solely by the expense, but by our desire to share our passion and our story.  As we have walked through this process, it has been our desire to share our story, to spread awareness, and maybe inspire someone else to jump in to their own journey to a child waiting for a family.
We have tried to be intentional about this desire as have done each fundraising endeavor.  For example - our adoption tshirts.

They say "HOPE It changes everything"  We love this.  It is not inherently about adoption.  It is designed to start conversations.  It brings you into our story.  A close friend and member of our tribe got to have a conversation just this week while wearing her Hope shirt.  She got to share adoption, our story, and God's great provision with someone I may never meet.  

Yes, every dollar raised brings us closer to bringing our sweet twins home.  However, it is our desire that it also means awareness and advocacy.  We strive to be intentional.  It would be our greatest joy if some piece of our fundraising efforts not only brought our children home, but led to another child finding a home.  

Thank you to all who have partnered with us thus far.  You are changing our lives.  You are changing our family.  You are providing immeasurable hope to sweet little twins whose hope was dwindling.  

A quick update on all things adoption in our world.  Our immigration paperwork was sent last week.  I received text notification about 30 minutes ago that our file was received (Isn't technology cool?).  Once this is approved, we will submit our dossier. We have been working to submit grant applications for the last two weeks.  Hopefully this will help provide financially.  We have completed baby registries (as many of you requested) with Babies R Us, Buy Buy Baby, and Target.  And we continue to fundraise...because we still need about $20000 to bring our children home.  Pray with us as we continue walking this journey.

We waited...

The past few weeks have been quite a roller-coaster. Those close to us have walked with us through pain, heart ache, excitement, and joy. They have cried with us, prayed with us, waited with us, and jumped for joy with us.
About 6 weeks ago we read a profile and after prayer and consideration felt they were the right fit. We submitted our letter of intent. We then learned another family submitted their letter just hours before ours. We praised God for placing children in families but our hearts hurt. It took some time to recover.
We went back to the waiting children list. We requested more information. We read more profiles. None fit. I began to feel distant from God. Surely He has a plan...right?
Over labor day weekend I requested more information on a sibling set. Our global caseworker messaged us back stating that they were not in the approved age range for us. Then she asked if we would be interested in receiving information on two year old twins. I immediately responded yes! Many little pieces of the profile drew us to these children.
Late that night we wrote another letter of intent and sent it off to BCS global.  They messaged back with some edits. By noon our team was translating.  Our letter was sent to ICBF by Wednesday evening.
And then we waited...
And waited...
And waited...

But it was worth it.
Our letter of intent was accepted. We are planning to welcome twins (1 boy and 1 girl) in late winter, early spring.

We are overwhelmed, excited, and a little anxious. There are still plenty of financial and paperwork hoops to jump through. I have been writing lots of grant applications, looking at babu stuff, and praying big prayers.

Would you pray with us? Support us? Walk with us on this crazy journey?

"Orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. But once you do, everything changes." -David Platt

Confessions

I love hard and fast.
I try to guard my heart but so far I'm pretty unsuccessful.
I am a little bit of a control freak...ok maybe a little bit is a lie.
I live in a society of instant gratification.
I am prone to being anxious.
I am bad at waiting.
I compulsively check emails/mailboxes/etc when I'm waiting on something.

These things have made the last week a difficult one.  Adoption means losing control.  It means rushing to finish your part of a step only to wait for someone else's part.  It means waiting for unknown periods of time for things that are REALLY important.  Adoption means love.

But I'm learning there are a few other things that are important during this time too.

I serve a huge God.
He has a great plan.
He won't leave me.
He won't leave my children.
He has surrounded us with a great support system.
I love big because that is who He created me to be.
He ultimately is in control.
He knows better than I do.

This week has been hard, but He has been with me.  My support system is rocking it.  Our prayer team has been lifting us up.  I'm still bad at waiting, but God is using the waiting to strengthen me, prepare me, and teach me.
Pray with us as we wait.  Hopefully we will have more to share with you soon!

How is the adoption coming?

We have been hearing the same question a lot.  "How is the adoption coming?"  Depending on who asks, they are looking for certain answers.  Eventually everyone wants the same answer.  When will your kids be here?
Oh how I wish I had a simple, easy answer for that question.  There are a few tangible dates I can give you.  Things for you to keep in mind, pray about, etc.  July 26th is our next (and hopefully final) homestudy meeting.  We will update any paperwork that is outdated from previous meetings.  We will go over the house, finances, and personal notes again.  We will make sure we have dotted all our i-s and crossed all our t-s.  Thankfully we have some incredible adoption specialists at Bethany Christian Services to walk through this with us.
The next big date is our anniversary!  August 28th, we will be celebrating our second anniversary!  Ahhh!  Seriously, though God has taught us so much about each other and ourselves in the past 2 years.  We have grown together and walking through this process together has made us stronger.  The other really exciting thing about August 28th, is Colombia requires 2 years of marriage for their adoptions.  This year our anniversary falls on a Sunday, but the following week our homestudy will be considered complete.  Then off for approval.
Over the next few months, we will apply for grants, do fundraising (because every little bit helps), make payments, submit paperwork, and everything else we can possibly do to prepare.  Hopefully we will be matched in the fall.  This will tell us a little more about the children we know God has already chosen for our family...pictures, stories, medical diagnosis, etc.  I am so excited for that day!
We will then go through some more paperwork, be assigned travel and court dates, arrange travel, and GO TO COLOMBIA.  Our prayer is that this will happen in early 2017.  Since both of us work in food service, winter is the easiest time for us to be away from our jobs.

As we inch closer here are specific things you can pray about:
July 26th - homestudy meeting
Grant applications (I - Kerri - am writing many of these currently)
Finances - Our next payment due will be $5000.  We currently have about 65% of that put away.
Our children - despite not knowing who they are yet, I know God is working in them and us to write this part of our story.
Travel dates

Again, thank you for being a part of our support system.  Y'all are awesome.  We love you and can't imagine doing this without you.

Support system

Wow.  When we jumped in to this crazy adoption journey, I am not sure we had any idea just how far we were jumping.  Or what that would look like during the journey.  We have learned this is not a journey we have any desire to walk alone.
Here is a little glimpse into a few pieces of our support system.

They come in many different shapes and sizes.  They are family and friends.  They are customers who come into Hot Rods.  They are church family that we get to do life with.

I am incredibly thankful that God saw this moment.  He knew we would need people...we would need people to pray, people to encourage, people to support, people to give, people to listen, people to understand.  

He knew I would need someone to remind me to keep my health on track in the midst of stress.  He sent me a friend from a few years back who was also walking through her own adoption journey.

He knew we would need someone to come along side us and help guide our budget and finances.  He provided my boss, who has tons of knowledge about finances and lots of local resources.

He knew I would need people on the days when I felt like falling apart.  People to do life with in the joys and the pains.  So He sent my work family.  Both employees and customers.  They might not always understand the process but they will walk with me in it.

He knew Tyler would process very differently than I do.  Many days he needs his bio family more than I realize.  God has continued to strengthen their relationships.

He knew I would need people to pray big prayers, encourage on the hard days, and to celebrate with on the good days.  He sent my Point family...especially my amazing connection group.  They even send me things like this.

God knew that we would need each other.  He designed us so differently yet so intricately linked.  He has designed balance in our relationship and continually reminds us to lean on one another.  

God knew most importantly that we would need Him.  I can not imagine doing this crazy journey without God.  I am continually leaning on Him, trusting that He's got this.  In the moments when everything feels like its spiraling out of control, I have to trust that its all in His timing and His ways.

Thinking about adoption?  What is your support system? Who are you going to lean on?

Reading this? Thanks for being a part of our support system.  You may not realize it, but you are holding us up through this journey.    

Whirlwind

The past six weeks have been a whirlwind.  Everything seems to be happening faster than I can keep up and we still have to do day to day life.
In May, we traveled to Pennsylvania.  It was a great time of spending time with those who support and invest in us.  While we were there, we did a spaghetti dinner and silent auction fundraiser.  So many amazing people were incredibly generous.  We stepped $1200 closer to our goals.  More importantly, we were able to have great conversations.  We got to advocate for orphans and educate people on how the process works.  This may possibly be my favorite part of our journey.  If you ask me about adoption, please know you are getting yourself into a big conversation.  You will get to see my passion and my heartbreak.  Every once in a while you get a glimpse into that here.
Since returning from Pennsylvania, we have been in more regular contact with our agency.  We are working through finishing paperwork and training.  We recently found out we will need psych evaluations.  This is another expense added to the list (which can be overwhelming at times.)  I am working through my Hague Training hours.  Most of our references have finished and mailed their letters to the agency.  Everything seems to be coming together.
Again we ask for your prayers.  God is doing BIG THINGS.  He is teaching us big things.  He is preparing our hearts for the children He has set apart for our family and I know He is writing their story despite us not knowing who they are.  Pray for our hearts as we finish our homestudy.  Pray for our paperwork to be complete and acceptable to the Colombian government.  Pray for our children.  Pray for the children that are not ours but are seeking forever families.  Pray for orphan care and adoption.

The hardest prayer

In the past six months, I have spent hours reading through profiles on the waiting children portal provided by our agency.  We have read through profiles from Africa, America, and Colombia.  Tons of faces of children who are waiting for a family.

So often I wonder, how do I choose?  How do we look at these children and say "This one is mine."  It has to be a God thing.  Like so many parts of this whole process, it has to be a God thing.  As I have poured over each and every profile, again and again I have been faced with a big, difficult prayer.

Dear God,
Please provide a family for this child, even if it isn't mine.

It may possibly be the hardest prayer I have ever prayed.  God is shaping and molding me in this waiting time in ways I never imagined.  Today will you join me in that prayer?  There are millions of orphans around the world.  God please provide a family for this child...for every child.

"I can't wait..."

Friday evening Tyler and I were both off...for those of you who don't interact with us on a daily basis, this basically NEVER happens.  Working in the food service industry, Fridays are both busy and profitable.  However this week we took some time for us.

We went to Cracker Barrel for dinner (a treat since they are usually closed before I get home).  After we ordered and played a few rounds of the peg game, I kept catching Tyler grinning across the table from me.  I finally asked him what he was smiling about.  He pointed to a table behind me and simply said, "I can't wait to be a dad and get to do things like that."

Sitting at that table I saw 4 kids, 2 parents, and 2 grandparents.  A meal like that could be a reality in the somewhat near future.  I can't wait to share in those moments.  However, for me that moment was about the journey thus far.

I told Tyler I wanted to adopt after we had been dating for merely 6 weeks.  It was a non-negotiable for me.  I knew what I was getting into.  He said something like, "Okay."  He has no idea where this journey would lead.  But God has changed, challenged, and grown us both.  During that first conversation, Tyler wasn't the guy who would say, "I can't wait to be a dad."  I'm so thankful for a heavenly father who is molding our hearts into the parents our children need.

Would you pray with us this month?  We are planning a big fundraising opportunity for our next trip to Pennsylvania in early May.  We need to get our passports.  We are shopping for a family friendly vehicle.  We are trying to be productive in the waiting.   Please pray for our hearts, our spirits, and most of all our kids.

Easter and this "God thing"

Wow.  Easter.  Easter means HOPE!  Jesus is alive!  Oh what joy!  That single phrase has completely changed my life.  It has given me hope and joy and it led me to adoption.  I so often struggle with the thought of how people walk through adoption without faith.  A dear friend who is adopting her own little girl said, "I am not sure people adopt otherwise.  Seems like a God thing to me."  The closer we get to our kids, the more truth I see in this "God thing."

Throughout the day today, I could not help but think that this may very well be the last Easter we spend as a family of two.  I mean that has always been the goal, but the reality is overwhelming in some moments.  For so long, adoption has been a vision, a dream, a passion but now it is becoming a reality.  

How incredible that in a year, we will get to share this incredible day with our children (hopefully...nothing about an adoption timeline is certain except uncertainty).  Jesus is no longer dead but he rose.  He lives.  And because He lives, I also get to live.  Not only that, but I get to share that with my children!

As a children's ministry director, I got to share this wonderful news with hundreds of children.  I was also a big supporter of the idea that parents are the best and most important teachers of everything, but most importantly of the Bible.  Now the idea of being given that responsibility is exciting and overwhelming.  How amazing that God has entrusted me with such a responsibility.  

What a beautiful "God thing" this adoption journey is...parenting...sharing God's love.  Today, being Easter makes me even more aware of that.  Hope changes everything.  Hope is changing everything.

Photo credit: Matthew Davidson Photography

www.matthewdavidsonphotography.com 

All (possibly) Four

Lately I have gotten to have a lot of opportunities to have conversations about adoption, our adoption, our future family.  That has lead to a lot of looks like this

This look is usually preceded by me saying "Four."

It has led me to believe that I have failed to mention some important information.  

We are eligible to bring home up to four children.  We have known for quite some time that we want to bring home a sibling group.  They are more difficult to place in families.  It is a big step for a family to add a child to their home and lives through adoption.  Adding multiples is more than some families are prepared for.  Placing a sibling group gets more difficult as the number of children increases.  Probably because of looks like that.

We live in America where the average family has 2 kids and a dog...sometimes I forget that I don't fall into that category.  I have always wanted a large family.  I know God is putting them together piece by piece.  The first few, we expect from Colombia.  Then we will continue to allow God to write our story.  (We have tried to make plans before, but God just changed them all for us.)   

Our family will change in big ways, when our kids come home but more than anything we want to provide a stable and loving home where they can continue to be a family.  After all they've been through and all they've had to experience in their short lives, we believe that at the very least they deserve that...all (possibly) four of them.

Family To Be

I am so excited to announce that in March, we will again be working with Matthew Davidson Photography (MDP).  I have known Matthew for almost a decade.  We both attended Johnson Bible College/Johnson University.  Matthew and his wonderful wife Brittany did Tyler & I's wedding photography.  I absolutely love our wedding photos.  MDP uses lots of natural lighting.  He did a great job highlighting us as well as incorporating our family and friends on our special day.

Over the past two years, MDP has been continuing to grow and develop.  His new work is even better than it was when we got married.  It is with great joy and excitement that I bring to you an amazing opportunity!  We are partnering with MDP for photo sessions on Saturday, March 12 to help raise more funds to bring our children home.

We are using two awesome locations in the Knoxville area.  In the morning we will be at the Knoxville Botanical Gardens 8-11 am.  In the evening we will be at Ijams rock quarry 3-6 pm.  Both of these settings will offer beautiful natural surroundings and great natural lighting.

So are you ready to book your session?  Head on over to www.matthewdavidsonphotography.com 

There you can check out MDP's other work, read their blog, and book your session.  Book early to ensure you get the time slot you are most interested in.  

Again, thank you all so much for your continued prayers and support.  We are doing lots of training right now to prepare for any hardships we may face when our children come home.  We are also working extra hours, saving money, and finding other ways to help raise the money needed to complete this process.  We are so thankful for the amazing community around us offering continued to support. 

It doesn't happen by accident

Oh my goodness.  I can not tell you how much I love our community.  That extends to a lot of people.  We have great family, great friends, great coworkers.  I was reminded of this again today.

Look at this cutie!  She kicked off our morning right after we arrived at church.  This little and her mom have been a big part of our story and important part of our community.  Seeing her in this shirt gave me great joy.  I can't wait for play dates with our children and this beautiful little girl!  

Now as I said, we had just arrived at church.  Our church is a big and important part of our community.  We love The Point.  Every week it is repeated, "Come as you are.  Text in your questions."  This has been nothing but true.  There have been days I've laughed until my stomach hurt and days I sobbed through most of the service.  I can come in this place no matter what my clothing looks like and even on days when my attitude isn't in check.  The people here love me for me.  They also love our family.  They are an amazing support system through the hard questions, long waiting, and emotional roller coaster that is our journey.  

Today during service, Pastor Matt talked about adoption.  He spoke about how Paul illustrates our adoption to God through Christ in Galatians.  Matt said, "Adoption isn't something you do by accident."  

Wow.  What truth.  If you look back our adoption journey started more than a decade ago.  God started planting seeds.  Now we have done about 100 pages of paperwork, background checks, a lot of research, a couple hours of training, and made a significant financial commitment.  Adoption isn't something you do by accident.  

So why would the bible use this imagery?  Because God made a deliberate choice in making us his children.  We become heirs to kingdom.  There was a plan and a process.  It took time and significant effort, but we were chosen.  How cool is that?  You were wanted.  You were chosen.  You were adopted...and adoption isn't something you do by accident.

Adoption....and Beachbody?

A few months ago, a friend kept nudging me to get involved in Team Beachbody.  I had a list of excuses a mile long, starting with I was too busy and followed quickly by I can't afford it.  But God was using this friend in my life.  She wasn't pushy, but she stuck around until I was ready to take a leap.  At the end of August, I decided to give it a shot.  I ordered a challenge pack with a workout plan, meal plan, and nutrient dense Shakeology.  I was done hating my body.  I was done being stressed and depressed.  I needed a fresh start.  Beachbody has done that for me.  I have lots over 30 pounds and 15 inches.  My workout is my stress relief, and I don't know how I survived long days working on my feet before drinking Shakeology.
And now, some of you are sitting there thinking, "Isn't this an adoption blog?"  It certainly is.  Normally I wouldn't even mention Beachbody on here but last week these worlds collided.  We were going through some more requirements for Colombia.  One of those is based on the BMI scale...that's right there are height/weight requirements.  Because of Beachbody, I am healthier than I have been in a really long time.  I am so thankful God led me this way.  Now, Tyler will be jumping in with me.
Our house is becoming healthier one step at a time.  We are ready to be the best parents we can possibly be for the children God is leading us to.  Clean eating, engaging workouts, and being a part of a great team!  Our support system keeps growing.  Here is to a brand new 2016!

We are so excited to see the beautiful journey God is leading us on.  He is continuing to provide for this journey financially as well.  Remember those change jars we talked about a few months ago?   They have provided over $300!!!  God is so good!  We just ordered our first round of shirts as well.  We chose the design because we firmly believe in the HOPE of adoption and the HOPE of Christ.

We have ordered a variety of sizes ranging from Youth XS through Adult 3XL.  They will be $12 each or $15 if you need them to be shipped.  Let one of us know if you would like one.  After the first 50, we will do a more specialized order to make sure we have sizes for everyone who is interested.  Y'all are awesome.  Thanks for being a part of our village.